Friday, 15 August 2014

50 Stories & Snippets: Intro and Extract 1

In addition to my creative writing (new novel coming soon) I publish, in ebook form only, a series of mini books for trainers, facilitators and speakers that I call my Almost Free series as they are on offer for a ridiculously cheap price. I'd like to introduce the latest publication in this series, available on Kindle and Nook:50 Stories & Snippets for Conference & Workshop Presentations.

This mini-book features stories,
snippets, clippings and examples that I have found useful over the years while
presenting conferences and workshops to a wide range of organizations. It's a
companion to my compilation 1000 Great Quotations for Business, Management & Training, also available in this
Almost Free series.

You will find in the book a motley selection,
presented alphabetically by title, but to help focus your thoughts I have
included under each entry a brief commentary and some suggestions for
appropriate use, and at the back of the book you will find a Category Index
with click-through links to relevant stories. These are for guidance only - the
usefulness of this material is limited only by your imagination.

If you are a trainer or facilitator use
these stories and quotes to enliven your sessions and underline the learning
with examples and points to ponder from a wide range of sources.

To whet your appetite I'm going to publish a series of extracts over the next month or two of blog posts. Here are the first couple.

Aborigine

In Australia an earnest and dedicated
social worker visited a run-down aboriginal settlement to see if there was any
way she could help.

The old Aborigine leader stood
watching her as she approached his shanty. She was about to introduce herself
when he raised his hand in a gesture that commanded her silence.

He spoke imperiously: 'If you have
come here to do something for me, you are wasting your time. If you have come
here because your transformation is directly involved with mine, let’s get to
work.'

Using the story

Attempts at
partnership or collaboration (whether inside organizations or across
communities) are often undermined by the failure of members to appreciate that
they do not have a monopoly of the truth. As painful as it may be, the ability
and willingness to listen carefully to the views of the people involved
(including those you may not agree with) are fundamental to success.

A true partnership is one that
accommodates diversity and assimilates all shades of views and opinions in
pursuit of a common truth.

In discussing this story you may also
find it interesting to consider the use of the words 'aborigine', 'aboriginal'
and associated terms such as 'indigenous'. Finding appropriate language,
avoiding offence while remaining aware that a 'tick-box' politically correct
mentality can itself be patronising - these are tricky issues in many areas of
communication, collaboration and culture.

The Artist

The great Italian artist Michelangelo
sculpted many beautiful works, such as the breathtaking marble statue of David.
Whenever he was about to start a new sculpture Michelangelo would stand before
the shapeless mass of stone, lost in contemplation. He would stare into, not
at, the stone and eventually, he said, he could see the figure trapped inside.
All he had to do then was chip away, and chip away … until the statue was fully
revealed.

'I
saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.'

Michelangelo,
Italian artist (1475-1564)

Using the story

A vision, whether
individual or corporate, begins with a dream. The vision is effectively an
imagined picture of a desired outcome, just as Michelangelo conjured when he
stood in front of the shapeless rock, preparing to work on a new sculpture.

Use this story to underline how
important it is to visualise the outcome from the start. The story also makes
the point that it still requires a great deal of painstaking work (‘chipping
away’) to ensure that the dream is realised.

More extracts to come, but if you can't wait or you want them all in one published collection you can download the book to your Kindle or Nook.

About Me

In order, I am a family man, a northerner, and a writer. Scarily it is over forty years since BBC Schools Radio gave me my first commission, and I have been writing as a part-time freelance ever since, mainly plays for the Beeb, and for education publishers. I got involved also with writing questions and formats for various TV and radio quiz shows. It's only in the last few years that I have been able to write full time, and in that period have produced: a collection of short stories 'We Never Had It So Good'; a thriller novel '11:59', which reached the semi-final of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2010; an historical novel 'Mr Stephenson's Regret', an Amazon semi-finalist in 2011; a psychological mystery 'As Close As You Are To Me'; and a micro-fiction collection 'HE and SHE: 1000 stories in 1000 tweets'. I also do readings and workshops.